Reading: Excerpt from "Imagined Communities" by Benedict Anderson

This excerpt of Imagined Communities makes the claim that nationalism is an imagined political community.  It’s less about beliefs, ideas, and governing and far more about community.  I witnessed this first hand when I was 18.  I had just moved to Casper, Wyoming.  Trump was finishing his first term in office.  I was serving as a missionary for my church, which meant I did a lot of service.  While I and others in the congregation helped a member of the church move, kids ran around looking for things to do to stave off boredom.  Antagonizing, one of the bigger kids chased a younger sibling around shouting, “You’re a Democrat!,” repeatedly.  The kid came crying to his dad.  The dad looked at the older sibling and said, “Stop calling him that!”  Neither kid was old enough to know what being a democrat meant.  They did know it was a terrible thing to be known as.  It had nothing to do with politics, beliefs, ideas, or governing practices.  It was cultural.

How often do people adopt the politics of their parents?

How often do people adopt the politics of their community?

How will politics change in this new landscape upended by Donald Trump?

How can citizens help each other engage in healthy political learning?

How can we heal the cultural divide in the United States?